Location  |  room 003 in the Quigley Hall basement (campus building 0042)

 

Mission

The Digital Fabrication Lab (DFL) operates as a dedicated entity supporting research & development, teaching, and service activities within the School of Architecture. The DFL currently houses seven core pieces of digital fabrication equipment, including two laser cutters, four 3D printers, and one CNC (computer numerical control) machine, enabling a wide range of prototyping, material testing, and design-to-fabrication workflows.

 

Background

The Digital Fabrication Lab at Southern Illinois University was established in 2006 by Associate Professor Shai Yeshayahu through a grant from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, supported by contributions from a local entrepreneur. These initial funds and donations helped create a platform for testing experimental design strategies and advancing research, while also providing consultation services through DFL personnel, an in-house digital database, and affiliated entities.

In recent years, the Lab has expanded its capabilities with the acquisition of a ShopBot CNC machine and a laser cutter through program Technology Fee funding.

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Leadership & Oversight

The Digital Fabrication Lab (DFL), under the oversight of Dr. Eric Farr, has entered a period of strategic transition focused on long-term development, operational sustainability, and expanded capacity. Under his leadership, the DFL is moving toward a self-sufficient operational model, including the systematic re-equipping and expansion of its digital fabrication infrastructure, with particular emphasis on upgrading and increasing the Lab’s 3D printing and Automation initiative's capabilities in AEC industries to support evolving research, teaching, and service demands.

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Objectives

The DFL acts as a catalyst for applied, interdisciplinary research and immersive learning in digital fabrication. It serves as a conduit between students, faculty, design professionals, and the broader professional community. The Lab supports curricular components that emphasize real-time experimentation with digitally enhanced materials, tools, and processes, enabling rigorous examination of the relationship between design intent and making.

By combining theoretical inquiry with applied sciences and fabrication practice, the DFL enhances educational outcomes while producing research knowledge, prototypes, and design methodologies that maintain strong relevance to real-world architectural and construction applications.

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